Kris Jenkins, a junior from Villanova, hit a three point shot at the buzzer to win the NCAA men’s basketball national championship beating the No.1 seed North Carolina 77-74 in Houston at NRG Stadium. Senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who was named the Most Outstanding player of the game, set up Jenkins for the game-winning shot. Jenkins expressed his admiration for senior’s decision making saying, “Ryan Arcidiacono, he’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with. For a senior to get the ball and make the right play and not try to shoot the ball in double coverage just shows a lot about him and what he’s about and how he’s just all about winning.”
This is the second national championship in Villanova’s program history, the first having been in 1985. When questioned about the connection the team has with the ’85 team, Arcidiacono expressed how privileged he felt to be associated with the team. “First off, Coach Wright does a great job of keeping former players around the program. So they’re always around us, every single time, from the early 2000s. It’s a great honor to be in that class with the ‘85 team… We drew up a play; we knew what play we were going to at the end of the game, because we work on it every single day in practice. I wanted to be aggressive. If I could get a shot, I was going to shoot it. But I heard someone screaming in the back of my head. It was Kris. I just gave it to him and he let it go with confidence.”
Jenkins who finished with 16 points was asked post game if he thought his final shot was good. Jenkins said “I think every shot is going in. So that one was no different.” While both teams put forth a great effort, there can only be one winner. The win not only solidified Jenkins’ place in history having made the first 3 pt. buzzer shot to win a title, but it also settled the family rivalry between him and his brother Nate Britt who played against him for North Carolina. The brothers, Jenkins and Britt hugged after the game. “As my brother I’m sad for him, but as a competitor I want to win so I’m happy that the shot went in,” Jenkins said. “A lifetime of bragging rights.” While it was a heartbreaking loss for North Carolina, they were consoled by none other than Michael Jordan post game. Jordan, who knows a thing or two about game-winning shots having made one in 1982 to win a championship game addressed a somber locker room. UNC’s Brice Johnson, though heartbroken expressed his gratitude for Jordan saying, “He [Jordan] was just saying he was proud of us and he’s proud to be a Tar Heel and all of those things and he just wishes the outcome was a little bit better than it was. It means a lot. He’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. It’s an honor to be able to say I’m a Tar Heel along with him.”